John A. Defrancisco's posts related to Troops

Please help us collect more Cell Phones for Soldiers. My collection drive runs through the end of January.

Drop-off locations include: Great Northern Mall, ShoppingTown Mall, Solvay Library, Skaneateles Library, Liverpool Library, Onondaga County Public Library in Syracuse, Fairmount Library, the Student Center at Onondaga Community College and the Army ROTC Office at Syracuse University.

Additional drop-off sites: MATTYDALE Army Recruiting Station at 372 Northern Lights Plaza in North Syracuse, SYRACUSE Army Recruiting Station at 2949 Erie Blvd. in Syracuse, 800 State Office Building at 333 East Washington Street in Syracuse.

Senator John A. DeFrancisco spoke at the Yellow Ribbon 2 Event on January 8, 2012, at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool. The conference aimed to prepare soldiers for deployment and provide support services to families of deployed military personnel. The Senator is pictured with SSG Jonathan Madonna.

State Senator John A. DeFrancisco is pictured with WWII Veteran Edward Zaluski and Edward's wife, Betty, at the annual Memorial Day Ceremony at the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery on Onondaga Hill, Sunday, May 25, 2012. The ceremony honors and remembers all of the military men and women, who lost their lives while serving our country.

State Senator John A. DeFrancisco observed Memorial Day by remembering and honoring all of the brave men and women, who died while protecting our country and our freedoms. The Senator attended several parades and ceremonies throughout Onondaga County during the holiday weekend.

Senator John A. DeFrancisco announced legislation that would make it a crime to use the name, image, or likeness of any current or former member of the armed forces or state militia for commercial purposes without permission, passed the New York state Senate on June 13, 2012.

“There have been numerous incidents where the names of soldiers killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have been used without concern for the solider or the soldier’s family,” said Senator DeFrancisco. “Our military members, veterans and their families have made tremendous sacrifices for our country, and it is essential that we respect their privacy.”

State Senator John A. DeFrancisco (R-I-C, Syracuse), a United States Air Force veteran, is once again calling on Central New Yorkers to donate their used cellular phones to his annual collection drive for Cell Phones for Soldiers. Today, (12/7/12) Syracuse Army Recruiting Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Darville and Public Affairs Specialist Jacqueline Wren of the Syracuse Army Recruiting Battalion, joined Senator DeFrancisco at a press conference in Syracuse to discuss the importance of helping our military families stay connected.

“I am always proud to support our brave men and women in uniform, who are making tremendous sacrifices to serve our country,” said Senator DeFrancisco.

On December 7, 2012, State Senator John A. DeFrancisco kicked off his fifth annual Cell Phones for Soldiers Collection Drive. He is pictured at his district office with Syracuse Army Recruiting Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Darville and Public Affairs Specialist Jacqueline Wren of the Syracuse Army Recruiting Battalion.

On February 1, 2013, State Senator John A. DeFrancisco officially wrapped up his 2013 Cell Phones for Soldiers collection drive to benefit our deployed soldiers. Senator DeFrancisco announced that his office collected 1,500 donated cell phones this season- a record amount! These phones will provide nearly 6,000 hours of free talk time to soldiers stationed around the world.

Senator DeFranciso is grateful to the Central New York community for its overwhelming support. He also thanks all of the local businesses, schools and organizations that served as his designated collection sites. These sites were expanded into Auburn, Fayetteville and Manlius this season: